Does Technology + Office = Productivity?

(Stuart Isett via The New York Times)

An office is a place for work.  Work is defined as an activity of mental/physical effort to produce a result.  Let's assume that our office is place of productivity. While the evolution of technology has greatly influenced the workplace, is it fair to assume that it's also increased our productivity there?  Or are we overrun with technological advances that leave us catching up to where we'd like to be?

I believe that a clear mind and a clear space are equally as beneficial to an organized lifestyle.  And technology, while proving to be organizationally effective and efficient in many ways, can also create mental clutter.  Sometimes, it's best to turn off the machine and go back to a slower pace in the workspace, if only for a few minutes.

David Allen wrote an interesting article in the NY Times about technology overwhelming an office. He mentions common complaints such as too many emails, meetings or new responsibilities brought on by technological progress to get any 'real' work done.  He challenges us is to find out "how to participate productively in this new and turbulent world and not be paralyzed by it."

Allen outlines 5 steps to enable yourself to be "present and able to trust your inner wisdom", ie- ways to slow down, define what's important and maximize your time and, therefore, productivity.  Those 5 steps are: Capture, Clarify, Organize, Review and Deploy your Attention Appropriately.  And he encourages doing all of this by grabbing a pen and paper and simply making a list.

I agree with the need to assess one's productivity and entertain the idea of looking beyond a computer screen.  In fact, I often use post-its to scribble down notes or ideas.  I guess it's my 'offline' way of evaluating my work, both what I've accomplished and what I've left to do.

So tell me, Appleshiners, does office technology ever slow down your productivity?

How to Sort Through Business Cards

(Oh, Hello Friend)

I kinda feel like my desk looks like this...times 50.  I've got lots of business cards to get through and follow-up on.  So I took my own advice:  take 10 minutes each day to tackle a task.

I separated them into 3 categories: record contact info, email a follow-up or email a referral.  The contact info was quick and easy to enter.  Then the follow-ups weren't too bad.  Each was a simple message of "nice to meet you, let's get together soon".  After I knocked out those piles, I moved on to referrals.  They took a little more time because it was usually an e-introduction or needed more info.  But over the week, with an average of 10 minutes each day, I got it all done.

Piles of paper clutter can be very daunting.  Yet if you break it down into 10-minute tasks, it'll be much more manageable.  And once you score down your cluster of business cards, try collecting the keepers in one of these cute card organizers.

Tell me, Appleshiners, what's cluttering your desk today?

PS- Look at this before/after of a Tribeca office or this before/after of a home office.  They were lot's of work but had great results!

When to Toss Out Expired Medicine

Yesterday, I was re-stocking my vitamin supply and sorting my medicine cabinet when I noticed- oops!  Some of my medicine had expired.  Time to toss it out.  

Here's the deal: the expiration date is a mandatory indicator of how long the medicine or supplement is guaranteed to be effective.  Taking it after the expiration date may not be harmful (I'll 'fess up- sometimes I've pushed it by a month or so) but it may not be helpful either.  

Bottom line is: time's up.  Expired items cause clutter and inefficiency.  So toss out the old and bring in the new; you'll feel all around better for it.

Tell me, Appleshiners, do you have lots of expired items in your medicine cabinet?